INTERVIEW
60 SECONDS WITH
ISRAEL OLATUNDE
If you don’t know who he is, you haven’t been paying attention. Teen track section, Israel Olatunde made a blistering start to 2022 by running a new Irish under-23 60 metres record of 6.67 seconds during the National Indoor League round one at the Sport Ireland Indoor Arena in Abbotstown earlier this month. Still only 19, Olatunde is also the reigning Irish senior 100m champion - a title he pocketed in Santry last June in a personal best of 10.49 seconds. His 6.67 at Abbotstown puts him well within reach of the qualifying time for the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March. But could he also be the guy to beat Paul Hession’s 15-year-old Irish Senior 60m Record of 6.61? We caught up with the UCD runner and computer science student to find out a little more about him.
What would the world know you for?
Hopefully being fast and being a good guy.
What is your greatest achievement to date?
Representing my family, community and country on international stages.
Biggest regret?
Being shorter than 6"0.
Who/what is your biggest inspiration? My family/my faith.
What scares you most? Spiders and having regrets.
What’s your best memory?
Visiting Nigeria when I was 10.
One word that describes you best? Sporadic.
What’s top of your bucket list?
To get sponsored by whoever makes Jaffa Cakes / visit as many countries as I can.
Something you’d tell your younger self?
We never get any taller.
Who is Israel off the track?
A guy who likes Jaffa Cakes and wants to be happy.
Israel Olatunde poses for a portrait. Photo by Eóin Noonan/ Sportsfile
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Irish Runner #1 - 2022
